Generic Westhroid

Since Westhroid and other thyroid USP medications are not FDA-approved, it is impossible to know if any of these products are equivalent. Many generic medicines contain the same active ingredients as Westhroid, but there is no way to determine if these are generic Westhroid drugs. Many people are more comfortable using brand-name Westhroid because it is already a fairly inexpensive medication.

 

Generic Westhroid: An Overview

Westhroid™ (thyroid USP) is a prescription thyroid medication. It is considered a natural form of thyroid replacement, since it is made from the thyroid glands of pigs. Westhroid is used to treat an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), as well as a few other thyroid problems.
 
Westhroid is made by Western Research Laboratories. Although there are generic medications and other brand-name products that contain the same active ingredients as Westhroid, it is difficult to know if these products are really equivalent to the drug.
 

The Problem With Generic Westhroid

Westhroid, as well as all other thyroid USP medications, has never been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), despite what you may read on the Internet. Many people are unaware that many prescription medications (usually old medications) have never been approved by the FDA. Almost always, these medications were already around before many of the laws and regulations were established. Because Westhroid and other thyroid USP medications were not approved by the FDA, there is no way to know if any of these products are equivalent, since the FDA makes this decision.
 
Some states have laws that permit the substitution of a generic medication for the brand-name version by a pharmacist only if the FDA determines that the generic version is equivalent to the brand-name drug. In these states, generic thyroid USP products cannot be automatically dispensed in place of Westhroid, unless a new prescription is obtained. Other states leave this up to the discretion of your pharmacist. Either way, many people are more comfortable staying with brand-name Westhroid, especially since it is already a fairly inexpensive medication.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;